The National Assembly Research Service (NARS), led by Chief Kwan Hu Lee, held a ceremony marking its 19th anniversary at 10:00 a.m. on March 18 at the Auditorium of the National Assembly Library. The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from inside and outside the National Assembly, including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik; National Assembly Members Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Dae-sik of the People Power Party, Jung Choon-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party, and Han Chang-min of the Social Democratic Party of Korea; Kim Min-ki, Secretary General of the National Assembly; and NARS staff members.

In his remarks of encouragement, Speaker Woo said that “Since the lifting of martial law, the National Assembly has been working closely with the people to shape the nation’s future, and the NARS has played an important role its diverse policy analyses and proposals.” He added that “Initiatives such as NARS’s first-ever multidimensional inequality analysis, launched late last year, are contributing to strengthening the National Assembly’s capacity to respond to policy challenges,” and urged the NARS to “continue doing its utmost to ensure that the National Assembly can continue to take the lead in addressing government policies and public needs.”

In his commemorative address, Chief Lee stated that “The NARS will actively support parliamentary activities by pursuing bold change and innovation, including the further development of the multidimensional inequality index and the establishment of a consultative body for parliamentary research services.” He also emphasized that “Although the authority and role of the National Assembly are expanding as the executive-centered policy paradigm shifts, the authorized staffing level of the NARS has remained unchanged for ten years,” adding that “As the NARS approaches its 20th anniversary, it is necessary to expand the personnel and budget of the National Assembly’s support organization.”

Meanwhile, Speaker Woo presented merit plaques in the name of the Speaker of the National Assembly, along with Gyeyoungbae cups as commemorative gifts, to six members of the National Assembly selected as outstanding users of NARS research responses for 2025. The outstanding users were selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative factors, including the number of requests for NARS research responses submitted throughout 2025 and the use of NARS responses in legislative bill proposals. The selected members were Jin Sun-mee and Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Dae-sik of the People Power Party, Jung Choon-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party, and Han Chang-min of the Social Democratic Party of Korea.